Letter to Participants

Lessons From Georgia O’Keeffe’s Art, Life, Landscape

I look forward to our week together. You will learn about O’Keeffe and her approach to art, be inspired by the same subjects and landscape that she loved, and create your own works.

Learning ObjectivesStudio sessions focus on “filling a space in a beautiful way” (an approach espoused by O'Keeffe and her most influential teacher, Arthur Wesley Dow) using line, color, and shape with attention to composition. Participants will develop their own artistic expression. Visiting O'Keeffe's favorite locations informs landscape studies. This course provides a creative experience for all skill levels, from the novice to accomplished artists who want to know about O’Keeffe, her life, and her art.

General Workshop HoursMorning (9 a.m.–noon) and evening (7–8:30 p.m.) sessions; afternoon optional open studio. The studio will be open all hours to those who want to work during during free times. Participants can sign up for an optional afternoon or evening tour of O'Keeffe's Abiquiu house at https://connect.okeeffemuseum.org/abiquiu-tours. There is an additional fee for this ($35 to $65), and arrangements will need to be made to get to Abiquiu. An optional trip to the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe on Thursday afternoon can be arranged by private car. This would include reimbursing the driver for gas and parking and a charge for admission.

Itinerary and Topics Covered (please note that this is subject to change)

Sunday, October 7 Check-in begins at 3:00 p.m. at the Welcome Center. Ranch Orientation at 6:45 p.m. (after dinner); then we meet for introductions and a course overview. Evening viewing of a slide show or film about O'Keeffe is optional.Monday, October 8 9 a.m.–noon in studio, briefly review O’Keeffe’s work and begin an exercise prescribed by O’Keeffe herself; afternoon free; 7–8:30 p.m. evening studio session continues with morning topic and includes slide presenationTuesday, October 9 9 a.m.–noon in studio, an exercise from Arthur Wesley Dow, who influenced O’Keeffe and whose philosphy and teaching encouraged O’Keeffe’s own creative style; 3 p.m. O’Keeffe Landscape tour; evening freeWednesday, October 10 Make bag lunches at breakfast; right after breakfast leave (by van) for The White Place to sketch; afternoon free; 7–8:30 evening studio session working from White Place sketches Thursday, October 11 9 a.m.–noon in studio: continue projects in progress; afternoon free; 7–8:30 p.m. studio session, work on projects, review artFriday, October 12 9 a.m.–noon complete works in studio or outside; afternoon free; evening all-ranch CelebrationSaturday, October 13 Checkout by 10 a.m.

Materials to Bring

If you already own art materials that you like, bring those. Otherwise, purchase materials for this class:• Pad of 9x12-inch paper for pastel/charcoal drawing, light-colored paper • Kneaded eraser (also called a kneadable eraser, used with charcoal and pastel media) • Medium-hard pastels, box set of 12, Prismacolor Nupastels recommended • Additional individual pastel colors as desired to enhance your palette. (Or you can purchase a larger box.) • Blending stumps (also called tortillons), a small package of 2 to 6.• Optional: a can of fixative is recommended if you think you will be prolific and want to save many of your works. • Optional: one or two brushes for blending pastels and for experimenting with wet techniques; I recommend medium-size nylon-brissle brushes.Also Bring comfortable walking shoes, a sunhat, sunscreen, clothes for both warm days and cool evenings, a jacket or sweater, and a water bottle. If you own a cane seat (also called a sport seat), bring it if you can.

Materials That Will Be Supplied

I will bring a can of fixative for pastels and a variety of materials for experimentation. ​Participants need to bring their own basic supplies listed above.

All Skill Levels Welcome

​This course is ideal for beginners, amateurs, and artists wanting a fresh approach. Beginning- and intermediate-level participants will learn the most about art. Advanced artists will experience some exercises that will help them understand O'Keeffe and her art.

About the Instructor, Anna Koster

​I first taught at Ghost Ranch in the 1970s, and then returned in 2014 to lead O’Keeffe-related courses. I have also taught at the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum (Santa Fe), Palo Alto (CA) Art Center, and San Jose (CA) Museum of Art. I have two art degrees (BA and MFA) and worked at art museums for 35 years, including 15 years at Stanford University’s Cantor Arts Center. Learn more about me at my website: www.annakoster.com. Visit our Facebook group “Lessons from Georgia O'Keeffe's Art, Life, Landscape” at bit.ly/akOKgroup(“OK” must be upper case, the rest lower case); you can view posts and also join the group to add your comments.If you have questions, feel free to email me directly or through the "Contact" page of this website.

Optional Reading​

​There is no required reading. Past participants have said that they would have appreciated an advance reading list. If you are of like mind, here it is: • For its accuracy and detail, I recommend Roxana Robinson's biography Georgia O'Keeffe, first published by Harper & Row in 1989. • If you want to hear what others who worked for O'Keeffe have to say about their experience, you could read Weekends with O'Keeffeby C. S. Merrill, published by La Alameda Press, or Remembering Miss O'Keeffeby Margaret Wood, published by Museum of New Mexico Press. (Carol Merrill briefly mentions me twice in her book.)• You could visit your local library (or browse online) and view illustrated books of O’Keeffe’s art to get an idea of the range of her work, well beyond flowers and New Mexico landscapes.• If you have little or no experience drawing, perfectly OK. But if you want to get a head start before coming to Ghost Ranch, I suggest visiting your local library for a basic book on drawing for beginners. Avoid books where the authors appear to be showing off their skills rather than giving easy instructions. The only book that looked OK when I visited the store was Drawing Nature for the Absolute Beginner: A Clear & Easy Guide to Drawing Landscapes & Nature by Mark and Mary Willenbrink, published by F&W Publications Inc. No reading is required. This list is only for those who want to do something extra before or after their week at Ghost Ranch.